It's been two years since I started my first blog at Rock-Head Sciences and soon thereafter on this author page. Recently, I was asked for tips from a follower, so I've jotted down 20 suggestions that stand out to me on maintaining a successful blog. Overarching all of them, however, is persistence. It takes many hours of learning, creating and experimenting in social media. Keep trying new ideas!

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1) Find a niche and post routinely (i.e. once weekly, monthly, etc.), or if it's general, post several times a day to generate traffic.

2) Engage with your audience whether on Twitter or comments on your blog.

8) Schedule announcements on a new blog using Hootsuite or another type of scheduler.

9) If you use WordPress, get the plugin "Revive Old Post" - make sure your titles of the blogs are how you want the blogs to be posted. This plugin will automatically retweet old posts randomly at a time interval (i.e. every two hours) you choose.

10) Make sure to get a backup plugin. I use "Updraft Plus" and have used it with success. Also, write each blog with Word, Pages or some other word processing software and keep your own files as back up.

11) Watch Twitter feeds from social media experts, bloggers and authors for great advice on blogging.

12) Ask website visitors to join your email list and announce new posts to their email.

13) Find a good video that shows you how to set up your webpage appropriately and all the related settings.

14) Use Google Analytics to track your page. You'll be able to see demographics that will give you insight on your followers.

Sandie is author of the soon to be released YA novel, A Caging at Deadwater Manor, from Caliburn Press. By day, she is a manager of a geology team who strive to protect water resources and natural systems. Her blog page includes short stories such as The Writing Desk Saga and inspirational experiences, as well as writing, blogging, publishing and Twitter tips. She lives with her husband, Charlie in Tampa Bay, Florida. They have two children, a beloved lab mix and a not-so-loving tabby. ​Feel free to share your social media tips in the comment section below as well!

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Sandie Will is an author who has a new YA psychological thriller - The Caging at Deadwater Manor. She is an avid blogger on this website as well as her science blog. She can be found on Twitter as @SandieWillBooks and @RockHeadScience, as well as her Facebook page at Sandie Will, Author.

"Enthusiasm with a scientist's rigor and a dollop of fun." --Rachel Stirling @Stirlingwriter